Chicago Cubs

Spring training is only a couple of games in, but there are already players starting to set themselves apart. Obviously, the stats include small sample sizes, but the ability that some players are showing has been impressive.

There is plenty of time left in spring training, but for now, there are teams clearly setting themselves apart with their work ethic and results. In particular, these five players have been turning heads so far.

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The focus tends to be on who will make the team in spring training for most teams. For the Chicago Cubs, most of that appears to be set. However, there are a couple of position battles that should be intriguing. Unfortunately for some, losing these battles could mean starting the season in Triple-A or looking for a job this summer.

You wouldn't expect a team with five straight seasons of at least 87 losses to be all the rage heading into a new season. The Chicago Cubs, however, have worked hard to be an exception.

For the first time in a very long time, the Chicago Cubs seem ready to compete for the playoffs. A lot of that has to do with their improved roster in every area of the team. While making the playoffs will still be a tough task in 2015, this current Cubs team has the talent to get it done.

Kris Bryant’s time is now.

There is nothing left for him to prove in the minor leagues, and the Chicago Cubs have made a clear and definitive turn toward competitiveness. Both those reasons ought to point to the 23-year-old uber-prospect being on the team’s Opening Day roster.

It's no secret the Chicago Cubs are supposed to be much improved this season after a very busy offseason. It remains to be seen just how improved they are, but their roster from this year compared to last appears to be much stronger. 

Fans know names like Jon Lester, Miguel Montero and Dexter Fowler, but there are other players waiting for an opportunity to prove themselves. Some of these players will try to impress in spring training. Here are five who could surprise people this March.

Spring training is set to begin next week when pitchers and catchers report to camp, meaning Major League Baseball’s long and at times insane offseason is coming to an end.

First, Cubs fans had to wait for months for the team to sign ace Jon Lester. Now, it has seemed like an even more excruciating wait for spring training since there's so much excitement surrounding this much-improved team. 

Opening Day is just two months away, and, for the first time in five years, there is hope on the north side of Chicago. The front-office tandem of Theo Epstein and Jed Hoyer have stayed the course, and 2015 may be the first year the fruits of their labor are rewarded with 80-plus wins.

The Kris Bryant era in Chicago will begin in 2015. The question is: When? Or alternatively: How soon?

Friday night, the Chicago Cubs, which had been used to getting good news during the past few months, got a piece of devastatingly bad news: "Mr. Cub" Ernie Banks, the greatest player in franchise history, died at the age of 83, per ESPN.com.